Less Invasive Surfactant Administration: A Viewpoint

The standard of care in treating respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants is respiratory support with nasal continuous positive airway pressure or a combination of continuous positive airway pressure and exogenous surfactant replacement. Endotracheal intubation, the conventional method for surfactant administration, is an invasive procedure associated with procedural and mechanical ventilation complications. The INSURE (intubation, surfactant administration, and extubation soon after) technique is an accepted method aimed at reducing the short-term complications and long-term morbidities related to mechanical ventilation but does not eliminate risks associated with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Alternative methods of surfactant delivery that can overcome the problems associated with the INSURE technique are surfactant through a laryngeal mask, surfactant through a thin intratracheal catheter, and aerosolized surfactant delivered using nebulizers. The three alternative methods of surfactant delivery studied in the last two decades have advantages and limitations. More than a dozen randomized controlled trials have aimed to study the benefits of the three alternative techniques of surfactant delivery compared with INSURE as the control arm, with promising results in terms of reduction in mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The need to find a less invasive surfactant administration technique is a clinically relevant problem. Before broader adoption in routine clinical practice, the most beneficial technique among the three alternative strategies should be identified. This review aims to summarize the current evidence for using the three alternative techniques of surfactant administration in neonates, compare the three techniques, highlight the knowledge gaps, and suggest future directions. Key Points The need to find a less invasive alternative method of surfactant delivery is a clinically relevant problem. Clinical trials that have studied alternative surfactant delivery methods have shown promising results but are inconclusive for broader adoption into clinical practice. Future studies should explore novel clinical trial methodologies and select clinically significant long term outcomes for comparison.